Media & Marketing columnist Jennifer Bellantonio is on maternity leave.
In the meantime, longtime Business Journal contributor Sandi Cain is babysitting her column.
Contact her at sdcain31@cox.net or fax her at (949) 606-8447.
Irvine-based O’Leary and Partners has more work on its hands and has hired to handle it.
The 50-person agency recently won the advertising account of Irvine-based Kawasaki Motors Corp. U.S.A., previously held by Foote, Cone and Belding.
The contract covers all products marketed by Kawasaki, including motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, personal watercraft and accessories.
Kawasaki, part of Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd., has shifted to focusing on performance with a new tagline, “The leading edge of power/performance/exhilaration.”
Earlier this year, O’Leary added PR work for Irvine-based Lantronix Inc. and Santa Ana’s Ingram Micro Inc.
O’Leary’s existing clients, DiskOnKey, DiskOnChip and Key Computing, all part of Israel’s M-Systems Flash Disk Pioneers Ltd., also have expanded their work with the firm.
O’Leary recently took on promotional work for Berkeley-based Idetic Inc.’s MobiTV, which makes a device that converts a wireless phone into a TV.
It also has done work for Tegic Communications Inc., a Seattle-based unit of Time Warner Inc.’s America Online that created T9 text messaging for wireless phones and mobile devices.
“We’ve made it a goal to actively leverage our clients’ interests in unique ways by recommending high-profile publicity programs that are highly visible to their markets,” account executive Jeff Seedman said.
Seedman, who previously was with Irvine-based PainePR, is one of three people recently hired at O’Leary.
The others are Stacee Lewis, a public relations account executive, who comes from Santa Ana-based Bock Communications, and Melissa Yearta, senior media planner who most recently worked at Doner in Newport Beach.
Y & R;’s Jaguar Spots
The Irvine office of Y & R; Brands last month launched a series of 15- and 30-second TV spots for Jaguar Cars North America designed around the theme of “temptation” to promote the 2005 Jaguar Long Wheelbase XJ.
The spots, which broke in September, highlight various attributes of the new model.
Print ads began in October in lifestyle magazines that include Vogue, Men’s Health, W, Economist, Travel & Leisure and Wine Spectator.
Y & R;’s Scott Anderson said the agency tied specific temptations to the lifestyle focus of each publication. Food publication ads focused on gluttony, while ads in financial publications focused on the temptation of greed.
“It’s an approach we hadn’t tried before,” he said.
Dancing Days
|
|
||
|
Healthcare dance: scene from Beard Boy spot |
Beard Boy Productions knows how to dance around production work.
A new TV spot created for Blue Cross of California that started airing in October features senior citizens doing the limbo to celebrate the lower premiums they enjoy with the senior health plan offered by Blue Cross.
Last year the shop won a Telly award for its “Dance Fever” spot that also touted dancing seniors.
In keeping with the same theme, Beard Boy was tapped by TH & M;/RB Advertising of Irvine to produce a TV commercial for Crevier BMW.
The hook?
You guessed it,an animated BMW.
This agile auto hip-hops to the Crevier “REV” jingle. The spot debuted countywide in October.
Total Spectrum Casts Net
Placentia-based Total Spectrum Advertising is eyeing growth in the business-to-business and consumer products segments.
Its first move was to add the position of director of client services.
Jay Tohman, a 25-year advertising veteran and specialist in the consumer goods and retail markets, took on the role.
“We have a bigger workload and aggressive growth plans,” said Jim Bogenreif, president of Total Spectrum.
That workload includes promoting sun care products from Banana Boat and Placentia-based Jeweler’s Touch retail stores. The firm also recently introduced a product for Pomona-based Adams-Rite Manufacturing Co.
“We’re providing more in-depth work for existing clients and hope to grow in both the B2B and consumer product sectors,” Bogenreif said.
The 15-person shop, which counts about $5 million in annual billings, also represents clients in the hobby and games markets and telecommunications.
